1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital image photography and various other devices having a digital imaging function, such as a mobile communication terminal, and more particularly to a method of photographing a panoramic image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a photographing unit of a digital imaging apparatus can capture an image ranging between 30 to 50 degree, which is less than the eye sight of a human that ranges between 150 to 200 degree. A panoramic photographing scheme refers to a technique for producing an image similar to or greater than the viewing field of human eyes, by photographing several scenes while changing only the photographing angle at an increment, and sequentially connecting the photographed scenes in order to reconstruct the scenes into a single image.
In a panoramic photographing mode, a digital imaging apparatus generally photographs several scenes in such a manner as to follow one after another in a transverse or longitudinal direction, then stores the photographed images in a memory. Subsequently, the images stored in the memory are provided to an internal/external image processor unit to reproduce into a single image. In order to remove color differences and image distortions appearing in the boundary portions of the scenes, multiple scenes are photographed in such a manner so that their boundary portions appropriately overlap. Thereafter, the image processing operations including aligning, stitching, and blending are conducted so that overlapping portions of the photographed images can harmonize with each other. As a result, a single image, in which several scenes are naturally connected, is produced.
An important thing to be considered in the panoramic photographing is to photograph respective scenes in such a manner as to be aligned as exactly as possible. To this end, in addition to a basic scheme in which a user manually photographs scenes using an accessory device, such as a tripod, a new scheme has recently been proposed, in which a photographing apparatus is mounted on a rotating mechanism attached to a tripod, etc., and the mounted photographing apparatus rotates corresponding to respective scenes to be photographed during the panoramic photographing. An example of such technology is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2003-0052444 (title: CAMERA AND METHOD FOR PHOTOGRAPHING PANORAMA PICTURES, Applicant: SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD, Inventor: Sungcheol BAE, Date of Application: 2003. Jul. 29).
In order to exactly align the respective scenes without the aid of the above-mentioned accessory devices in the panoramic photographing, another scheme has been proposed, in which the edge portion of a previously photographed image is displayed in such a manner as to appropriately overlap with an image to be currently photographed, so that a user can adjust a proper photographing position by matching the current image to the previous image. An example of such technology us disclosed in U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0189849 (title: PANORAMIC SEQUENCE GUIDE, Inventor: Gregory V. Hofer, Date of Application: 2003. Mar. 31).
As the panoramic photographing operation is more complex than a normal photographing and also requires a skilled user, there is a need for a new technique to provide a user with a more convenient and efficient photographing operation.